Mute for musical instruments



Sept 27, 1949.

T. L. FAWICK MUTE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed July 10, 1947 THOMAS L.FAWICK INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 27, 1949 Mti'rii FoR'MUsIoALINSTRUMENTS I lhoiiias L. Fawi'ck, levelan'd; "Ohio, assignar to FawickFliii Grip "00., Cleveland, Ohio Ap lication-Junie, 1947, Serial No.760,169

I 3 Claims. This inventionrelatesto'mutes-for musical instruments suchas violins. p v

Itschief'objctshreto piovide afiiiiiteadapted to perform its functionwith leasing err-teammout adverselymodifyingjhe-quality of the soundthat is muted; to provide a mute that willnot obscure the individualityof a line violin; and to provide a -inute having thedesifed efiectivnessbut of small size, not standing so high above the bridge as to be anobstruction.

Further objects are neatness of appearance, retention of the mute inready availability for use, avoidance of scratching by contact with anypart of the instrument, and secure retention of the mute upon the bridgewhen it is in use.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a cross-section, on line I-l of Fig. 2, of a mute embodying yinvention in its pre ferred form.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, from either the right or the left ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same, taken in the direction of the arrow3 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the mute comprises a soft-rubber body III ofsubstantially clothes-pin or bifurcated shape but having a plurality ofparallel vertical ribs II, I l on each of its inner, gripping faces, theribs of one set being respectively opposed to those of the other set,and having a transversely arcuate-walled groove l2 extending through thebody at right angles to the ribs, at their upper ends, as the uppertermination of the space between the two legs of the body. Such spacecomprises vertical grooves l3, l3 in alternation with and defined by theribs H, and, in communication with those grooves, a triangular space M(Fig. 1) of increasing width upward to its junction with the groove I 2,such triangular space being incident to the fact that while the ribs ofone set contact or nearly contact those of the other set in their lowerportions the adjacent faces of the two sets of ribs, as respectivegroups, upwardly diverge from each other.

From this shape it results that the mute grips the bridge of theinstrument with force which is greatest in their lower region and isprogressively less upward therefrom. The relatively large groove l 2permits a good hinging movement without excessively localized distortionof the rubber and, along with the triangular shape of the v Hthe'dowiiwardly progressing increase orgr ppmg rcrce,

To augment such ppingjforc'e, and 'appar- 'e'ntly providing otherdvafntagjs, "a transversely flat metal spring 15, which is flijmti'onally of C-s'hape in edge view, is associate with'tlie rubbefr'bdy.'Rrererab r biit fecess'a'rily, it is at least embedded inf-ano herssibly is completely enclosed by, the rubber, except that the lowerportions of the legs of the spring, where they most closely approacheach other, may be exposed in small areas at the back walls of thevertical grooves 13, as an incident of the preferred method ofmanufacture, in which the ribs and grooves are formed by a suitablyshaped mandrel or ribbed metal plate, very thin between its ribs whereits grooves are deepest.

The spring I 5 preferably is of such shape when in unstrained conditionthat its legs will be spread apart by mounting it upon the ribs of sucha mandrel, and when the mandrel is removed the recoil of the sprin willhold the rubber ribs II, II of one set in slight but substantialpressure-contact with those respectively of the other set.

Preferably the legs of the spring curve away from each other at theirlower ends, as shown, to facilitate the mounting of the spring upon themandrel and to provide deep imbedding of their lower ends in the rubbereven though they grip the mandrel in the adjacent region. The rubber canbe bonded to the spring by vulcanized adhesion if desired, but suchbonding is not essential.

To provide for easy removal of the mute from the bridge, and possiblywith an advantage in providing greater inertia for the body of the mute,the body preferably is formed with a rounded projection It at thejunction of its upper edge with each of its vertical edges, the tworounded projections thus providing a head.

When not in use, the mute can be retained in ready availability for useby mounting it upon one of the instruments strings, back of the bridge.

While the reasons are not readily manifest, it is found that the muteherein described has in surprising measure the effects set out in theabove statement of objects.

It is believed to be due to the fact that the rubber ribs, which are theonly part of the mute contacting the bridge of the instrument, have suchresilience, and such natural rapidity of recoil, when pre-loaded by thepressure of the spring, that they act as absorbers of energy, thusdamping or reducing the amplitude of the bridges vibrations, withoutaffecting the frequency, even as to overtones, the weight oi. the mainbody and the spring serving, not as a loading, which changes the naturalfrequency of a sound system, but merely for its inertia to cause thebridges vibration to express itself almost wholly in deformation of theribs, substantially without vibrating the rest of the mute.

It is believed that the amplitude is reduced almost wholly by the energyabsorption of hysteresis in the rubber ribs,'ancl that elimination ofthe frequency-modifying loading effect of mutes heretofore in common useis the main reason for the excellent functioning of the present mute.

Modifications are possible without departure from the scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mute for a musical instrument, said mute comprising aninertia'structure and damping means in position to beinterposed betweensaid structure and a vibrating part of the instrument and to be held insmall-area pressure contact with the latter, said damping means havingsubstantially the resilient deformability of vulcanized soft-rubber.

2. A mute for a musical instrument, said mute comprising an inertiastructure and, in position to be interposed between said structure and avibrating part of the instrument, and to be held in small-area pressurecontact with the latter, damping means having substantially theresilient deformability of vulcanized soft-rubber, the inertia structurecomprising a body integral with said damping means and a spring inpre-loading relation to the damping means.

3. A mute for a stringed musical instrument having a bridge, said mutebeing of bifurcated form and adapted to be mounted upon the bridge ingripping relation thereto, and said mute comprising an inertiastructure, and, in position to be interposed between said structure andthe bridge, and to be held under compression against opposite extensivefaces of the bridge, vibrationreceiving means having substantially theresilient deformability of vulcanized soft-rubber and of such smallefiective cross-sectional area in planes parallel to the bridge, inrelation to the inertia of said structure, as to be deformed by thebridges vibration substantially without overcoming the inertia of saidstructure.

THOMAS L. FAWICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent? UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

